Vidalotry: A Gore Vidal Podcast
Ryan Breegle / We Own This Town
Show overview
Vidalotry: A Gore Vidal Podcast has published 11 episodes during 2018. That works out to roughly 4 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 17 min and 31 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language History show.
The catalogue appears to be on hiatus or wound down — the most recent episode landed 7.9 years ago, with no new episodes in over a year. Published by Ryan Breegle / We Own This Town.
From the publisher
Taking a look at the wit and wisdom of Gore Vidal in his own words, from Ryan Breegle.
Latest Episodes
10: The Wartime President
In the tenth and final episode, Vidalotry explores Gore Vidal’s ridicule of George W. Bush and the title ‘Wartime President’ which Bush bestowed upon himself. Host Ryan Breegle looks at the accusations of voting fraud in 2000 and 2004, Gore’s fears during the Bush Presidency, and his thoughts on the politicians that followed, namely Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain. SOURCES: Open House with Gloria Hunniford, Thames Television, 2000 Ali G, HBO, 2004 State of Things, 2005 Ring of Fire with Robert F. Kennedy Jr, 2006 The Henry Rollins Show, IFC, 2007 HardTalk, BBC, 2008 Dear President Bush, Gore Vidal, 2008
9: Ronnie and Nancy
In Episode Nine, Vidalotry explores Gore Vidal’s humorous criticism of the Reagan administration. Host Ryan Breegle looks at Gore’s initial dismissal of Ronald as a convincing politician, his good-natured jabs at Nancy, and his overall concern that the United States was governed for eight years by a talented cue card reader. SOURCES: Books: Ronnie and Nancy: A Life In Pictures, Gore Vidal, The New York Review of Books, September 29, 1983 Audio: Afternoon Plus, Thames Television, 1981 Merv Griffin Show, Jan 26, 1981 The Tonight Show, Dec 15, 1981 Saturday Matters with Sue Lawley, BBC, 1989
8: Gore’s Watergate Fix
In Episode Eight, Vidalotry explores Gore Vidal’s fascination with the downfall of Richard Nixon. Host Ryan Breegle looks at Gore’s early wariness of Nixon, the play he wrote using words directly from the President’s mouth, and Gore’s suspicions that were finally proven correct. SOURCES: Books: An Evening With Richard Nixon, Gore Vidal, 1971 Palimpsest: A Memoir, Gore Vidal, 1995 Empire Of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal, Jay Parini, 2015 Audio: Vidal / Buckley debates, ABC, 1968 Laugh-In/em>, Jan 12 1970 The Merv Griffin Show/em>, May 14 1970 Laugh-In/em>, Jan 11 1971 The Dick Cavett Show/em>, Nov 1 1973
7: The Three Kennedys
In Episode Seven, Vidalotry explores Gore Vidal’s entrance into the Kennedy inner circle. Host Ryan Breegle looks at Gore’s family ties to Jackie, the bad blood between Gore and Bobby, and his thoughts on what really led to the assassination of John F Kennedy. SOURCES: Books: The Best Man 1968, Esquire, March 1963 Palimpsest: A Memoir, Gore Vidal, 1995 Empire Of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal, Jay Parini, 2015 Audio: 60 Minutes, CBS, 1975 Profile of a Writer, 1978 Afternoon Plus, 1981 JFK, A Personal Tribute, 1993 The Clive Anderson Show, Channel 4, 1993 We The People with Jerry Brown, July 8 1996
6: Tennessee and Truman
In Episode Six, Vidalotry explores Gore Vidal’s relationship with two gay authors; one friendly, the other contentious. Host Ryan Breegle looks at Gore’s adventures with Tennessee Williams and their involvement in a film featuring lobotomies and cannibalism. And he examines Gore’s detest for Truman Capote, culminating in lies and lawsuits. SOURCES: Books: Palimpsest: A Memoir, Gore Vidal, 1995 Empire Of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal, Jay Parini, 2015 Audio: 60 Minutes, CBS, 1975 The Dick Cavett Show, 1978 Profile of a Writer, 1978 Omnibus, BBC, 1995 The Celluloid Closet, 1995 The Tim Haigh Show, 1995 An Appreciation, PBS, 1998 Theater Talk, 2000 Interview with Jay Parini, 2006
5: Mean Mad Mailer
In Episode Five, Vidalotry explores the tumultuous friendship of Gore Vidal and author Norman Mailer. Host Ryan Breegle looks at Mailer’s history of violence toward women and how it took Gore, a legendary female journalist, and a late night TV show to finally put him in his place. SOURCES: Books: Of a Small and Modest Malignancy, Wicked and Bristling with Dots, Norman Mailer, Esquire, 1977 Palimpsest: A Memoir, Gore Vidal, 1995 Snapshots In History’s Glare, Gore Vidal, 2009 Empire Of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal, Jay Parini, 2015 Audio: The Dick Cavett Show, 1971 Profile of a Writer, 1978
4: The Buckley Debates
In Episode Four, Vidalotry explores the 1968 televised debates between Gore Vidal and William F Buckley, Jr. Host Ryan Breegle looks at how Gore prepared his witty remarks in advance, the speed at which the debate became nothing more than a war of words, and how both men were greatly affected by the aftermath. SOURCES: Books: On Experiencing Gore Vidal, William F Buckley Jr, Esquire, August 1969 A Distasteful Encounter with William F Buckley Jr, Gore Vidal, Esquire, September 1969 Palimpsest: A Memoir, Gore Vidal, 1995 Snapshots In History’s Glare, Gore Vidal, 2009 Empire Of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal, Jay Parini, 2015 Buckley Vs Vidal: The Historic 1968 ABC News Debates, 2015 Audio: Buckley / Vidal debates, ABC News, 1968 Braden / Buchanan, 1984
3: Hollywood and Howard
In Episode Three, Vidalotry explores what happens when Gore Vidal is invited to work in Hollywood. Host Ryan Breegle looks at homosexuality’s network television debut, and we meet the man Gore chose to live with for more than half of his life. SOURCES: Books: Palimpsest: A Memoir, Gore Vidal, 1995 Snapshots In History’s Glare, Gore Vidal, 2009 Empire Of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal, Jay Parini, 2015 Audio: The Homosexuals, CBS News, 1967 The Celluloid Closet, 1995 60 Minutes, CBS, 1975
2: Candidate Vidal
In Episode Two, Vidalotry explores Gore Vidal’s love/hate relationship with America. Host Ryan Breegle looks at Gore’s two political campaigns, his controversial views on party politics, and the play he wrote about the scandalous secrets candidates dig up to use against each other. SOURCES: Books: The Best Man: A Play About Politics, Gore Vidal, 1960 Palimpsest: A Memoir, Gore Vidal, 1995 Snapshots In History’s Glare, Gore Vidal, 2009 Empire Of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal, Jay Parini, 2015 Audio: French interview, 1964 Profile of a Writer, 1978 Afternoon Plus, Thames Television, 1981 The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, 1981 The Merv Griffin Show, 1981 Omnibus, BBC, 1995 Gore Vidal, PBS, 1998 Theater Talk, 2000 The South Bank Show, ITV, 2008
1: Gore and The Gay Novel
In this debut episode, Vidalotry explores the complex relationship between Gore Vidal and his stance on homosexuality. Host Ryan Breegle looks at Gore’s passion for promiscuity, his first love that would forever haunt him, and how writing a novel about gay sex would affect his career in the years to come. SOURCES: Books: The City And The Pillar, Gore Vidal, 1948 Palimpsest: A Memoir, Gore Vidal, 1995 Empire Of Self: A Life of Gore Vidal, Jay Parini, 2015 Audio: Omnibus, BBC, 1995 Gore Vidal, An Appreciation, PBS, 1995 The South Bank Show, ITV, 2008
Vidalotry: Coming Soon
Introducing Vidalotry, a new ten-part series podcast from Ryan Breegle that examines the wit and wisdom of famed intellectual and public persona Gore Vidal. Using a multitude of recordings, interviews and talk show appearances, Breegle examines Gore’s insights on homosexuality, politics, clashing opinions between creatives and much much more. This preview of the show gives you a taste of what to expect with forthcoming episodes. Coming February 2018.